


Investigative Instincts

by grahamcracker76



Category: White Collar
Genre: Developing Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Multi, POV Outsider, a love letter to Diana Berrigan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:53:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24366115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grahamcracker76/pseuds/grahamcracker76
Summary: Diana Berrigan investigates things for a living, so of course she’s noticed that something is going on between Peter and Neal.
Relationships: Elizabeth Burke/Peter Burke/Neal Caffrey, Peter Burke/Neal Caffrey, background Diana Berrigan/Christie
Comments: 3
Kudos: 105





	Investigative Instincts

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, I am just dropping this fic here to say that Diana Berrigan owns my ass! She is a beautiful badass poc lesbian and she is one of the best things about this show. I realized my last fic was sorely missing some Diana but I couldn’t find a way to fit her in the story... so now she gets her own! Because Diana totally knows what’s up. This story focuses mainly on Peter and Neal’s relationship, but Peter/El/Neal is strongly implied.

**01**

Diana wouldn’t say there was a single defining moment when she realized Peter Burke was in love with his CI. She would describe it as more of a slow amalgamation of moments building up over time, all leading to the same undeniable conclusion. After all, Diana was in the business of investigating for a living, so of course she noticed these things, and while what she had noticed might appear innocuous to some, she knew better. She knew Peter.

She knew that Peter was reluctant to take Neal on, but he agreed to Neal’s deal anyway because he couldn’t think of any good reason not to.

She knew that Peter was wary of trusting Neal without question (Peter always had a lot of questions when Neal was involved) but that he already trusted him more than he liked to admit.

She knew that Peter was cautious with his affection, and that he didn’t give it freely. She knew that Neal had Peter’s affection, probably more than he knew. She saw it in the way Peter smiled more readily these days, in his delighted laughter whenever Neal did something brilliant that brought them one step closer to solving a case. She saw it in the easy touches they exchanged, in a slap to the back or a hand on a shoulder.

She knew that Peter had come to count on Neal, that he believed in him, that he trusted in Neal’s capacity to change for the better. She knew that he thought of Neal as a friend. She knew that he loved him, even if he didn’t realize it himself.

In all honesty, she couldn’t even say she was that surprised: Peter and Neal were polar opposites, an FBI Agent and a con man. Put them together, and sparks were bound to fly - they would either combust in a fiery explosion, or fuse into one, stronger together than they had ever been apart. Diana supposed it was lucky for all of them it turned out to be the latter.

**02**

Diana was never supposed to be an FBI Agent.

Her family always expected her to become a lawyer, or maybe even a doctor. She did go to law school, but after she graduated and actually began work as a lawyer, she quickly discovered it wasn’t for her. She wasn’t meant to spend her days sitting behind a desk shuffling papers, making no real difference in the world.

So she quit her boring desk job and joined the Academy, and for the first time in a long while, she felt alive. She was learning, she was growing, she was changing, and it was exhilarating.

On the weekends, she blew off steam, letting go of all that built up giddy recklessness so it wouldn’t weigh her down when it counted. She had the occasional wild fling, taking home girls who tasted of whiskey and desire. When she woke up alone, she had no regrets, and why should she? It felt like freedom.

Then, she started working for the FBI, and she felt herself settle, like a falcon called back to the ground. She grew less reckless and more deliberate. She learned focus and determination and skill. She met Peter Burke, who taught her to believe in herself. She grew bones of steel, and an iron will. They gave her a badge and a gun. She had teeth and claws, and she knew how to use them.

Then, she met Christie, and the world briefly spun out of control before she came back to herself, and she realized that was because of Christie, too. Christie was smart and intimidating and beautiful and hers. She made Diana feel more herself without even trying. Diana was always cautious to share herself, but she didn’t hesitate asking Christie to move in because it felt good, because it felt right.

It was why she understood when it came to Peter and Neal. Neal came into Peter’s life like a shooting star, illuminating everything in his path, making Peter’s life more brilliant just by existing. And they were good together, learning to work together, cautiously orbiting around each other, getting closer and closer.

But there was also trouble, always around the corner. When they were good together, there was nothing else like it: it was wonderful. They closed cases like no other team before them - their 95% closure rate was quickly becoming the stuff of legend. But when they weren’t on the same page, everything fell apart. Peter started keeping secrets and Neal got defensive, and then they would be circling each other angrily, giving no quarter.

If Diana had learned one thing from life, it was this: something had to give. Peter and Neal could not go on this way forever. 

**03**

Diana knew that Peter always got a little… intense whenever Neal was threatened during a case, whether he’d been punched, shot at, kidnapped, or in this case…

“They tased me,” Neal explained when Peter’s gaze zeroed in on the angry burn marks on Neal’s shoulder after searching him over with frantic eyes, making sure that everything was in place.

Peter’s jaw tightened and he holstered his gun, heading straight for Neal and patting him down. Diana politely averted her gaze, but she could see that Peter’s hands were shaking, and so could Neal.

“Hey, it’s not like I asked them to,” he said, bringing up one of his hands to cover Peter’s when it skirted restlessly over his chest. “Peter. I’m fine.”

Peter took a deep breath. His fingers twitched in Neal’s grasp, but he didn’t pull away. “Like hell you are,” he said, his voice shaking. “Any broken bones, Neal?”

“No,” Neal told him. “They just tased me, roughed me up a little. I’m fine.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Peter said.

His jaw clenched, and Diana could almost hear him grinding his teeth. He was going to give himself a headache. But then, Peter had always been a worrier, especially when it came to the ones closest to him, and now, Caffrey was among that number.

Neal gave her a sidelong glance, equal parts amusement and exasperation, and she merely raised her eyebrows at him in response. Because really, what was he going to do? It was Peter - you just had to let him fret and be done with it.

“Diana,” he called, turning, pulling Neal with him. “I’m taking Neal home.”

Diana nodded. “You’re taking him to June’s?”

Peter looked at her, his gaze even and firm. “I’m taking him home,” he repeated significantly, “with me and El.”

Diana barely kept from gasping aloud - barely.  _ Oh, _ she thought. Oh, that explained so much. She had a hunch something was going on between the two of them, but she hadn’t said anything - she hadn’t needed to. She knew Peter, and she trusted him. His personal life was his business, not hers. But she had never guessed Elizabeth was in on it too. She should have known - Peter wasn’t exactly the type to do anything behind Elizabeth’s back.

She smiled, and pretended not to see the relief in Peter’s eyes. “We’ve got this, boss - you take care of Neal.”

Neal shot her a betrayed look, and Diana rolled her eyes. “Be good, Caffrey,” she said, and Peter smiled.

“He will,” he said.

**04**

Peter had a sweet tooth. It was an open secret at the office, so Diana shouldn’t have been surprised that Neal seemed to know about it from day one. She  _ was _ surprised on the day Peter’s birthday rolled around, when Neal burst into Peter’s office with a white pastry bag clutched in his hand, practically vibrating with excitement.

“Oh,” he said, his eyes going wide when he saw her standing there. “Sorry, I’ll come back later…”

“Is that my cookie?” Peter demanded, as though this was all perfectly normal.

“Yeah,” Neal said with a wide grin, reaching past Diana to hand him the bag. “I thought, why mess with a good tradition?”

“He used to send me cookies on my birthday when I was chasing him,” Peter explained to her.

“It was our little joke,” Neal said, sticking his hands in his pockets, his eyes still fixed on Peter. Diana can’t help noticing that it might be Peter’s birthday, but it’s Neal who looked like Christmas has come early. “You don’t mind, do you?”

“Oh, you know I’ll never say no to a good sugar cookie,” Peter said, smiling wide and bright, like the sun bursting through the clouds. He looked at Neal with softness in his gaze, the kind Diana only saw from him in rare moments when he let his guard slip.

She wondered if Neal knew how precious that look was, when it came from Peter. She wondered if he knew how many times she saw that look on Peter’s face when Neal wasn’t looking. She wondered if they knew it for what it was. She hoped they were being careful, because she cared about them both.

She bit her cheek to hide her smile and cleared her throat to remind them that she was still there. “I’ll set up the conference room, boss.”

Peter nodded at her absently, but his eyes were still on Neal, that pleased smile still curving his lips. “Thanks, Diana,” he said, and she edged out the door, closing it quietly behind her.

She could let them have this moment of simple, uncomplicated joy. It might be Peter’s birthday, but they both deserved some happiness. Diana was just one person, but whatever she could do to help them, she would.

***

E N D

***


End file.
